Aza Tōma

 Aza Tōma (亜あ左ざ 桐とう馬ま) is the younger brother and right-hand man of the infamous bandit Aza Chōbei. He is a major supporting character of Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku.

After his brother was arrested, Tōma infiltrated the Yamada clan in order to reunite with Chōbei in prison and presented him with the shogun's mission to acquire the Elixir of Life from the dangerous island believed to be Shinsenkyō. With the reward being a pardon exempting the criminal of their past crimes, Chōbei accepted and was assigned Tōma as his Yamada Asaemon monitor.

Appearance

Tōma is a young man with long black hair, eyes, and an androgynous appearance. Tōma's hair later becomes short, after he cuts it to show his dedication to Gantetsusai in wanting to become stronger, and makes a small braid on the left side, mirroring that of his brother's. He also receives a small scar on the right bridge of his nose after Chōbei accidentally injured him in a rampaging state.

For his attire, Tōma wears the Yamada clan's standard uniform, which is a white robe with a red lining running down the collars, a hakama with a single red band at the left gusset that is held together with a red waist cord, which holds his katana at his left hip, a funerary bell tied to a red piece of cloth at the center of his collar, and sandals. He later loses his funerary bell after trying to stop his brother from going berserk.

After a year passed since escaping the island, Tōma grows his hair back to its original length and supports a longer braid. The scar on his nose has also seemingly vanished. As for his attire, Tōma wears Chinese clothing with a dragon at the center of his robe.

Personality

Tōma believes that the key to surviving in life is adapting to one's environment, and views his brother as a prime example of this perspective. He is very caring and loyal to Chōbei since he has been his protector since they were children, and stresses out whenever harm comes to him. Because of how his father died fighting for his allies, Tōma is reluctant to cooperate with anyone except for his brother. In his own eyes, Tōma views himself as an extension of his brother instead of an ally and stated that the bandits that followed the two were merely pawns for them to use. However, Tōma soon realizes that his reliance on his brother to protect him interferes with his growth and ability to look after himself. Upon being separated from Chōbei, Tōma is willing to swallow his pride and cooperate with the survivors if it means that he could reunite with his brother and become strong enough to not only fight by his side, but to rely on his own strength to fight his battles.

When away from his brother's side, Tōma tends to act rather unfriendly when someone tries to communicate with him on friendly terms. He also displays a cocky attitude– after withstanding the Tao lessons Gabimaru and Yuzuriha instructed, Tōma smiles, thinking that he has surpassed Gantetsusai after seeing him heavily exhausted from the training.

Abilities and Powers

Despite not being an official Asaemon, Tōma was trusted to take on the shogun's life-risking mission, testifying to his abilities. He was strong enough to easily kill multiple Sōshin, who were trusted by Lord Tensen to eliminate any trespassers, and soon became one of the first few in 1,000 years to have managed to survive the ordeals the island had to offer and reach Hōrai where Lord Tensen currently resides. After training under Gantetsusai and undergoing Tao lessons, Chōbei and Ju Fa noted that Tōma's skills has improved considerably, being able to keep up with his brother in fighting the Tensen and deal damage, which he was unable to do the first time they fought, and was able to handle the Tao lessons taught by Gabimaru and Yuzuriha, which Gantetsusai, the one who improved his swordsmanship, could not endure.

Kenjutsu

Tōma is very talented with a sword, being credited as the fastest member in the Yamada Dojo to earn his license after only a month, and easily massacring the Sōshin without any aid. With the skills he gained from the Yamada clan, Tōma is capable of decapitating his target with a single cut of his sword. Although he possessed talent, Gantetsusai noted that Tōma had yet to release his full potential prior to the invasion in Hōrai. After training under Gantetsusai to improve his skills, the quality of Tōma's swordsmanship has become a lot higher than it was before, being taught to face danger head on and strike, which was shown during his fight against Ju Fa as he managed to land a critical hit on the Tensen.

kurama yu yu hakusho fox demon form

 

Kurama appears as an androgynous youth with long, flowing platinum-silver hair in his demon-fox form. His features are ethereal and elegant, with slender golden eyes, prominent silver fox ears, and a graceful silver tail. His hair cascades down his back, further enhancing his mystical presence. He wears clothing that is ambiguously oriental, blending elements from various East Asian styles. His outfit consists of a white sleeveless yukata with split sides, paired with martial arts-style pants and shoes an ambiguous oriental clothing reminiscent of traditional Chinese garb, all in a matching pale tone.

Kurama possesses the unique and formidable ability to control and manipulate plants, a power that becomes especially potent in his demon-fox form. As his Demon Energy increases, Kurama gains access to his original form—Yoko Kurama, the legendary fox demon. This transformation enhances his power significantly and is often triggered during intense battles. However, by the time of the Demon World Tournament, Kurama begins to reject reliance on this form. Instead, he embraces his human identity, believing that true strength comes from growth and evolution rather than reverting to his past self.

One of Kurama's core abilities is the accelerated growth of plants. With a surge of demon energy, he can cause seeds and sprouts to grow into towering trees or sprawling forests within seconds. He often uses this to conceal his presence, trap enemies, or create barriers, while maintaining full control over the plants he summons.

Demonic Plant Manipulation
Kurama’s primary combat style centers on manipulating demonic plants from both the Human and Demon Worlds. These plants, often dangerous or carnivorous, respond only to users with strong demon energy—making Kurama a master of this rare art.

• Death Tree (Shokuyō Shokubutsu / 食妖植物)
  This terrifying plant from the Demon World is a root-based organism that sprouts massive mouths at the end of each root. It secretes acidic saliva capable of dissolving flesh and bone, and it instinctively attacks anything that moves. Kurama used it once to intimidate Ura Urashima during the Dark Tournament, showcasing its horrifying potential.

• Floating Leaf (Fuyōka no Makai Shokubutsu / 浮葉科の魔界植物)
  These appear as wing-like leaves that grow from Kurama’s back, resembling a butterfly’s wings. They function as gliders, allowing him to control his descent or stay airborne during battle. First seen during the group's descent into the Demon World to avenge Yusuke's death, the Floating Leaf appears again during Kurama's aerial maneuvering in the fight between Yusuke and Sensui. Though unnamed in the English dub, Kurama refers to it as a demon world plant.

• Binding Fist of the Demonic Vine (Juryō Yōzan Ken / 樹霊妖斬拳)
  This technique forms a vine with thorns that wraps around Kurama’s arm, acting like a sword or whip-blade. It's similar in nature to his iconic Rose Whip, but with more focus on close combat. He used this attack during his clash with Sensui, although earlier in the series, he employed a related move known as Leaf Blade. Many speculate that this technique is created by intertwining multiple rose whips into a single, devastating weapon.